Wire straightener



1957 D. E VARNER 2,803,287

WIRE STRAIGHTENER Filed Jan. 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. David 5. Vamer.

A 'TTORNE V5.

Aug. 20, 1957 D. E. VARNER 2,803,287

WIRE STRAIGHTENER Filed Jan. 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllfl i a INVENTOR.

flax id E. Vamer:

- ATM/m United States Patent WIRE STRAIGHTENER David Earl Varner, Wichita, Kans. Application January 13, 1956, Serial No. 558,916 3 Claims. (Cl. 153-460) This invention relates to wire straighteners, and more particularly to a wire straightener wherein the wire passes in contact with a series of alternately offset guides in a rotating arbor.

Rods, wire and the like have been straightened by drawing or moving same through rotating arbors having a plurality of offset dies wherein the dies are blocks having grooves or apertures through which the wire slides. The

sliding engagement of the wire with the dies causes such friction that it resists movement of the wire through the straightener and results in a substantial force being required to overcome the friction in pulling the wire therethrough. With such devices, it is difficult to thread the wire through the offset dies, and changing of the wire being processed usually requires disassembly of the arbor and changing of the sizes of the dies. Even though the dies in such arbors are hard-faced, the sliding, frictional engagement results in substantial wear requiring frequent replacement of the dies.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a rotating arbor wire straightener which overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages of conventional arbor-type straighteners; to provide a novel, rotating arbor wire straightener with independently and separately adjustable rollers alternately and oppositely arranged to straighten the wire with a minimum of friction or resistance to the wire movement through the straightener; to provide such a wire straightener which is easily operated for facilitating threading of wire therethrough, and to provide a wire straightener that is economical to manufacture, efficient in operation for insuring a thorough straightening of the wire, that has long life and that offers a minimum of resistance to the movement of the wire therethrough.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wire straightener embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the wire straightener.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the arbor body illustrating the guide grooves of the roller holders.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the, wire straightener with the parts in disassembled relation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the arbor on the line 55, Fig. 4.

Referring more in detail t 0 .the drawings:

1 designates a wire straightener which includes an arbor 2 mounted to rotate on its longitudinal axis and to receive wire 3 ther'ethrough and straighten it as the wire is drawn through it. The arbor 2 has removable cylindrical ends 4 and 5 supported in bearings 6 and 7 respectively for rotatably mounting the arbor for rotation on its longitudinal axis. The members 4 and 5 are replaceable and can be replaced by any desired size and shaped spindles required by a machine with which the "ice straighteneris used or mounted, making the arbor adaptable forany wire straightening or forming machine. In the illustrated structure, the bearings 6 and 7 are carried on a support 8 and driving means connected with the arbor for effecting rotation thereof. In the illustrated structure, a motor 9 or other source of power is operatively connected with a pulley 10 which is fixed as by a key 11 to the end 4. The end 4 is preferably a hollow shaft or bushing which has an end portion secured to one end 12 of the arbor as by screwing the end 4 into a threaded recess 13 in the end portion 12 of said arbor. The end 5 is preferably a hollow shaft or bushing and is similarly mounted in the end portion 14 of the arbor, and the ends or bushings 4 and 5 have axial bores 15 and 16 respectively that are coaxial with the axis of rotation of the arbor and are of a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the wire to be straightened, the bores 15 and 16 serving as guides for the wire.

The arbor 2 includes a body 17 fabricated to provide separable body halves or members 18 and 19 so arranged that the body is divided on an axial plane. The arbor body halves 18 and 19 are complementary and each include longitudinal bars provided with inwardly opening longitudinal channels or troughs 20 which terminate as at 21 adjacent the inner ends of the bushings 4 and 5, said channels mating when the body is assembled to form an axial channel 20 in the arbor body. Each of the body halves also are provided with a plurality of inwardly opening transverse channels 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 which correspond in depth to the depth of the longitudinal channels 20. The channels 22, 24 and 26 each extend from the side 27 of the body halves and terminate in a rounded end 28 spaced from the side 29 of the body halves to form a wall 30. The transverse channels 23 and 25 open on the side 29 and extend therefrom toward the side 27 terminating in a rounded end 28 spaced from the side 27 to provide walls 31. The transverse channels mate when the body halves are assembled-to form guides that are alternate and opposite. Each of the transverse channels has a wider portion 32 adjacent the inner face 33 of the respective body halves 18 and 19 to provide clearance for rollers 34 as later described. The wider portion 32 of the channels extends from the open end of the channel and terminates as at 32 in spaced relation to the arcuate end of the respective channels.

Each of the body halves 18 and 19 have their outer faces recessed as at 35 for lightness in weight and openings 36 communicating with the longitudinal channels 20 between the respective transverse channels. In the structure illustrated, the outer sides are machined to provide relatively wide grooves that extend inwardly to the bottom of the longitudinal channels 20 and bars 37 are suitably secured as by welding at the sides of the groove to form a plate with a surface 38 in the same plane as the bottom of the transverse grooves whereby the openings 36 provide access to the longitudinal channels 20 for aiding in threading a wire through the arbor. Each of the arbor halves 18 and 19 have aligned apertures 39 extending therethrough between the transverse channels and spaced from the longitudinal channels for receiving suitable fastening devices-such as bolts 40 for securing the arbor halves together with the faces 33 in engagement. In the illustrated structure, the bolts 40 have threaded shanks 41 adapted to receive nuts 42 for securing the arbor halves together.

The cylindrical end portions 12 and 14 of the arbor preferably have dowel pins 43 arranged in bores 44 for effecting accurate positioning of the arbor halves whereby the end portions that make up the cylindrical ends 12 and 1 4 are in registry.

Holders or carriers 45 are slidably mounted in each of the transverse channels 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 on guides threaded bores 43 draw the rollers toward the wire.

formed thereby, said holders having ends 46 rounded to correspond to the arcuate ends 28 of the channels and slots 47 extending into the other end of the holders to form a bifurcated structure wherein the sides of the slots 47 are parallel to the bottom faces of the transverse channels and the faces 33 of the body halves. Each of the holders 45 have threaded bores 43 extending into the arcuate ends 46 and aligned with bores 49 in the Walls 30 and 31 whereby adjusting screws 50 having threaded shanks 51 extending through the bores '49 and screwed into the threaded bores 48 will draw the holders toward the walls 30 and 31 respectively. The side portions 52 of the bifurcated ends of the holders have bores 53 extending therethrough perpendicular to the slot 47, the bores 53 preferably having bearing members 54 therein to rotatably mount trunnions 55 on therollers 34 in the respective holders. Each of the rollers 34 have a groove 57 in the periphery thereof. The rollers preferably are hardened or provided with a hard facing in the groove for long wear. The holders 45 and the rollers thereon are arranged in an alternate reversely disposed relation wherein the roller and the holder in one channel is positioned on one side of the wire and the rollers and the holders of adjacent channels are positioned on the opposite side of the wire, and the screws 50 being threaded into the The side faces of the holders 45 slidably engage the respective faces of the transverse channels to substantially prevent lateral motion of the holders in the channels. The enlarged portions 32 of the transverse channels are of suitable width and size whereby the respective rollers have clearance for movement and rotation therein.

The wire straightener constructed and assembled as illustrated and described normally operates in connection with wire forming apparatus which draws the wire through the straightener, however, the mountings are changeable and the arbor adaptable to substantially any wire processing or straightening machine, that is to say a length of wire coming from a reel or spool or any other source in which it is previously coiled or the wire being otherwise deformed from a desired straight set such as being kinked is threaded through the longitudinal channel between the reversely disposed and staggered rollers 34 and then engaged with operating structure in the wire forming machine for pulling wire through the straightener, the straightener arbor being rotated during the movement of the length of wire therethrough whereby said length of wire leaving the arbor is straightened. The wire 3 is drawn from the coil and the end inserted through the bore 16 and between the rollers 34 whereby the wire is in the grooves 57 thereof and then passed through the bore 15 and engaged with operating structure in a wire forming machine. The screws 50 are then adjusted whereby the rollers in the holders in the transverse channels and 26 engage opposite sides of the wire with the wire substantially axially relative to the bore 16. The rollers in the holders 45 positioned in the transverse channels 22 and 23 are adjusted to engage opposite sides of the wire whereby the wire portion there engaged is substantially axially of the bore 15. Then the holder 45 in the channel 24 is adjusted to deflect the wire toward the side 29 as illustrated in Fig. 2. Then power is applied to the driving mechanism to rotate the arbor body and the forming machine operated to pull the wire through the straightener. As the wire is pulled through the straightener, the rollers rotate thereon and the entire arbor is rotated about the wire to effect straightening of the wire, the rollers providing little resistance to pulling of the wire through the straightener and also due to the rotation of the rollers present an everchanging surface engaged with the wire for long wear of the material defining the grooves of the rollers. When the wire breaks or it is necessary to change same, the wire is easily threaded through the arbor, the threading being facilitated by the openings 36 in the sides of the arbor which provide access for aiding in threading the wire in engagement with the grooves of the rollers. The position of the rollers relative to the axis of the arbor is easily adjusted and different size wires may be straightened by merely adjusting the position of the rollers whereby the only limit as to size of the wire is that it should be smaller than the diameter of the groove 57 of said rollers.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wire straightening device comprising, an elongate arbor body having a longitudinal axial channel therein, cylindrical end members on the ends of the arbor body and extending therefrom in axial relation thereto, means supporting the cylindrical end members for rotation of the arbor body about the longitudinal axis thereof, means rotating said arbor body, said cylindrical end members having aligned axial bores communicating with the longitudinal axial channel'in the arbor body and forming guides for passage longitudinally therethrough of wire to be straightened, said arbor body having spaced transverse channels in series relation and extending radially thereof in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis of the arbor body, said channels having side surfaces forming guide surfaces, said channels each being closed at one endand with the other end thereof opening to the exterior of the arbor body, said transverse channels being in alternate relation with adjacent channels opening on opposite sides of the arbor body, said arbor body having lateral openings between the transverse channelsintersecting the longitudinal channel for access thereto, carriers slidably engaging the guide surfaces of the transverse channels and having bifurcated end portions at the ends thereof toward the open ends of the transverse channels, rollers having grooved peripheries rotatably mounted in the bifurcated end portions of the carriers whereby the rollers all are in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis of the arbor body and rotate about axes perpendicular to said plane, said rollers of carriers in adjacent channels being offset on opposite sides of the wire and on the side of the wire toward the open ends of the respective transverse channels, and adjusting screws in the arbor body at the closed ends of the transverse channels and having threaded engagement with the roller carriers for adjusting the carriers radially of the arbor body whereby adjacent rollers apply pressure on opposite sides of the wire to selectively deflect same and rolling engagement of the rollers with the who during rotation of the arbor body and longitudinal movement of the wire therethrough straightens said wire.

2. A wire straightening device as specified in claim 1 wherein the arbor body is two mating separable complementary halves secured together with the engaging surfaces thereof on a longitudinal axial plane and with the longitudinal and transverse channels extending substan-: tially equally into said halves from said engaging faces.

3. A wire straightening device as specified in claim'2: wherein the arbor body has threaded axial bores in the ends thereof and the cylindrical end members have thread ed ends removably screwed into said threaded axial bores.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 613,754 rightman Nov. 8, 1898 730,549 Mallett June 9, 1903 1,128,223 Burgher Feb. 9, 1915 1,283,336 Shuster Oct. 29, 1918 2,724,422 Siegerist Nov. 22, 1955 2,741,293 Siegerist Apr. 10, 1956 

